This issue is essentially just a fill-in... but one carried out by the regular creative team. Essentially, this is a standard super-hero team-up tale... fun, but fairly conventional. Mind you, there are a couple of elements that set this apart. Johns offers up an excellent introduction to the Winged Warrior, and it's a real treat to see Scott Kolins tackle another one of DC iconic characters.
Brother Grimm has decided to take another go at destroying the Flash's world, and to woo the speedster's wife to become his own personal princess. A giant beanstalk sprouts in the middle of Keystone City and dragons cause chaos on the streets. The Flash definitely had his hands full, so it's a good thing that an old ally -- or is he a new one? -- shows up to lend a hand. It's the Flash and Hawkman versus Brother Grimm in a super-powered showdown.
Kolins really shines in this issue. His portrayal of Hawkman is amazing. His stark style captures the character's power, presence and raw savagery with seeming ease. There's also a nice combination of alien qualities, historical ones and the mythical in his appearance here as well. It makes me wish Kolins could handle this title and Hawkman every month. Sinclair handles his own separations on this issue, and it seems to bring brighter tones to bear, but not so bright that they intrude on some of the grittier qualities of the artwork.
Hawkman's continuity was a real mess, and the JSA and Hawkman writers -- who include Johns -- have done a decent job of giving the character a new start while paying tribute to -- and making some use of -- his past. Johns sums the character's new status quo here quite well. His noble and nasty sides come through with great clarity and accessibility. And despite the rather silly tone of the villain, Johns manages to establish a fairly serious atmosphere.
Overall, the story is rather... inconsequential. There's little tension or suspense in the story, which seems to come out of nowhere. That's fine for Silver Age super-heroics, but it came off as a little... unrefined by this book's usual standards. This is an especially good issue to give to younger readers, though, to introduce them to the world of DC super-heroes.
